


Unexpected

by Sea_of_Monsters



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Alec Lightwood has arachnophobia, Alec Lightwood-centric, Angst, Attempt at Humor, Established Relationship, Fluff, Head of the Institute Alec Lightwood, Implied Sexual Content, Kinda, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post canon, again i don't know which ones yet, canon divergence there, dragon!Alec, graphic details kinda, i'm trying alright, it's brief though, it's like the inbetween time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:07:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24315547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sea_of_Monsters/pseuds/Sea_of_Monsters
Summary: Seriously, what was wrong with him. He's been feeling off for weeks now. It wasn't a cold, and it wasn't an injury. He just felt...different. Even Jace had picked up on it. Whatever it was, it was starting to get worse.Half the time he wanted to rip someone's head off.Half the time he wanted to leap in front of someone and growl.By the Angel, who growls?!
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 12
Kudos: 309
Collections: Malace 101, Malec best, Tales of Malec & Dragons





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [What Everyone Knows](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10508436) by [d_aia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/d_aia/pseuds/d_aia). 



> Hello! I'm back with something new! I hope that you enjoy, and just know that this might be a shorter fic than my other one.

Seriously, something had to be wrong with him. He would go to Izzy about this, but to be honest, he didn't know where to start. 

It all started three weeks ago. They had all just gotten back from Edom, and were celebrating with each other. He remembered crashing into Magnus' bed, and sharing an intimate moment with the man he loves. Everything felt fine that day. In fact, it felt great. He had the love of his life back in his arms after so long, and was able to reconnect with him intimately. The night passed in a blur of love and pleasure, and Alec wouldn't have it any other way. 

The next day was an entirely different story. 

He woke up without Magnus beside him. Any other day, he would have merely grumbled about it. Not that day. That day, he reached over to Magnus' side, and pulled his pillow against his chest. It smelled like him, and Alec almost purred at the thought. No sooner had that thought crossed his mind, Alec found himself letting out a growl. Where had his husband gone? Why wasn't he here? Alec began to nuzzle the pillow before everything caught up to him. His actions had him bolting up right on the bed, and toppling out of it in a heap. That growl hadn't been a little possessive one that he was used to. No, it had been a full on growl with raised hackles and everything. Still caught up in his thoughts, Alec didn't hear Magnus rush in. Apparently, his little falling act had been really loud. A second or two passed before Magnus let out a muffled laugh. Before he knew it, Magnus was cackling his head off. Alec could feel his cheeks flush immediately, but he paid no mind to it. It was still thinking about his reactions. How had he made those noises? Why did he make those noises? It didn't make sense.

Finally focusing on Magnus, Alec saw that his fiancee, _his fiancee_ , was holding out his hand for Alec to take. He took it, and when Magnus asked if everything was alright, Alec just said, "I'm fine. There was a spider, and it scared me out of bed." He scratched at his head nervously, but to Magnus, he looked sheepish. With a final laugh, Magnus turned, and left Alec there standing in the silence of their bedroom. 

Shaking his head, all Alec could think of was how _not_ fine he was. At least, he didn't know if he was fine because he didn't know if anything _was_ wrong. 

The rest of the morning was a daze for him, and not just because of the weird wake up. No matter what he did, he couldn't get comfortable. His skin felt alive almost. It was itchy beyond belief, and no matter what he did, his nails just couldn't satisfy the itch. Slowly, the itch began to lessen, but as it did, a taunt feeling overtook him. It was like his skin was being stretched across his skin to its limit. That combined with the sliding feeling that started around the middle of that day had him feeling restless. It was like his organs were sloshing around, and rearranging within him. It wasn't painful, but the sensations were truly unsettling. Not even training helped. He must have sparred with Jace for hours until even Jace had to tap out. If anything, everything intensified which frustrated him to no end. Why was this happening? What was happening? Both went unanswered in his mind, so eventually, Alec put those thoughts to rest as he laid down to sleep for the day. 

Despite everything, Alec couldn't help but think back on those days with a smile. He and Magnus had finally tied the knot, and he couldn't be happier. He still remembers their wedding night clearly. The tear of the suit, the noises that had left Magnus' mouth. Everything had seemed amplified, but Alec paid it no mind. No, he concentrated on the beautiful man underneath him. 

That should have been his first warning. 

The night started out normal enough. A long, passionate make out session quickly led to the bedroom, but instead of falling onto his back like any other night, Alec pushed Magnus down onto his back. Not saying that he couldn't be dominant in bed. He could if he really wanted to, it just wasn't what he preferred. He was a leader after all. Sometimes, he just liked to leave all of that at the Institute, and be taken care of. Magnus never complained, so their intimacy had found balance as they began to get to know each other intimately. That being said, it wasn't as if they never switched. Magnus was a leader too. He understood where Alec was coming from, so when he needed to be taken care of, Alec was always down. That night though, he was like a man possessed. He bit and sucked everywhere, marking Magnus as _his_. Sure he was possessive in the relationship, but this? No, this wasn't like him at all. As they were coming down from their highs, Alec again was caught by how _off_ everything was. He remembered drifting off that night with Magnus in his arms, and just thinking, _What the hell is wrong with me?_

That had been three weeks ago.

The feelings hadn't disappeared with time, and honestly, he was getting tired of it. He had managed to get used to it by the first week. The skin irritation had subsided slightly, and his possessiveness wasn't nearing chaotic levels anymore. In fact, he was sure that the week had just been a freak occurrence. Nothing more, nothing less. 

He really shouldn't have jinxed it like that. 

The second week happened, and Alec couldn't figure out his mind anymore. That next Monday, a whole new set of symptoms had manifested themselves. The possessiveness that he'd experienced for Magnus had now leaked through to everyone he knew personally. This became apparent when he and Underhill were talking one day in the hallway. An older shadowhunter was passing them in the hallway, not bothering to watch out. If Underhill hadn't pulled him back, then the man would have crashed full speed into his back. Alec turned around to see who had almost run into him. He didn't recognize the man, but that didn't stop his instincts from flaring up. They screamed danger, and Alec wasn't about to ignore them. The old shadowhunter, who had stopped by that point, had taken one look at the both of them, and said something under his breath. Alec didn't know what he said, but he just knew that it was some homophobic bullshit. He moved without realizing it, and next thing he knew, Underhill was pulling him back from the frightened man. Underhill ended up dragging him back all the way to his office where he quarantined him till he was sure that Alec wasn't about to explode again. Not one word was said, but Alec could feel Underhill's eyes on him the entire time. 

With that outburst, it was like his other emotions took that as the go ahead to run rampant. One minute he would be feeling fine, happy even. The next either brought sadness, fear, anger, or just plain instinct. It was like a tight knot had settled at the bottom of his stomach, and no matter what he did, he couldn't untie it. His mind became a war zone that week. Every emotion known to man battled it out to see who would come out on top. _By the Angel,_ he thought, _this can't get any worse._

He really should've stopped thinking like that.

Week three was hell on earth. There was no other way to describe it. Everything around him got magnified to the extreme, and it was like his every sense was dialed to eleven. The first day that he woke up like that, he had almost not gotten up at all. The sensory overload nearly knocked him out flat. He did eventually make it to the Institute, but the rest of the day was spent with a head-splitting migraine. The colors were too bright, the smells were suffocating, and he did _not_ need to be hearing those noises in his Institute. To say that his emotions went even more haywire that week would be the understatement of the year. He hadn't meant to, but everything was grinding on his nerves that even his enviable self-control was starting to break down. So, what did he do? He snapped at about everyone and everything that managed to piss him off. It was nothing personal, but Alec didn't bother offering an apology. Many just assumed that their leader was having a bad week.

They weren't wrong.

By that point, Jace had pulled him aside to talk to him. It was about the parabatai bond. He said that it was acting funny. Jace could still feel him, but it was like the bond was muffled by something. He described it as being underwater. Alec was still there, but the feelings were being drowned out by something. He also brought up the strange behavior. What was Alec supposed to say? That he had been going through inexplicable changes? That he could hear, smell, and taste everything a room away? How about the fact that he wanted to punch anyone that managed to get within five feet of his family. Shocker, he didn't end up saying anything. In his mind, Alec reasoned that it was just left over side effects from Edom. It had to be, right? That's what he told himself anyway. _It's not, and you know it._

Now, if only he could get himself to believe it, that would be miraculous. 

That brings him to the present. It's week four, and he's thinking that he's got a handle on everything. Nothing new had sprung up, but Alec was always wary of what he was doing now. Every move was calculated, precise. Surprisingly, his training had picked up significantly. It was like whatever this was had given him a boost of strength. _Probably the only good thing it's given me,_ thought Alec. In fact, that's where he was currently. The punching bag had become his refuge. That and Magnus' loft. Not that it hadn't been before, but going home to the loft was like bliss to his heightened senses. At the loft, there were no new smells, no new sensations that could surprise him. It was truly the only place that he could relax in. It was just Magnus and the Chairman. Home. Just thinking of it made his insides go all warm and fuzzy. A deep rumbling resonated from his torso, vibrating throughout his entire chest, and Alec was so consumed by his feelings that he didn't notice the sound or feeling. 

"Dude, what are you doing?"

Alec snapped out of his trance. His chest was still rumbling, but he didn't have time to think about that now. Jace had stepped into the room, and was looking at him as if he had grown another arm. "What do you mean? I'm training with the punching bag." He liked to think that his voice didn't shake towards the end. It didn't. Why would it? _You know why, it's because-_

"You were doing...something. I don't know what, but it was weird." Jace's eyes held blatant concern and suspicion. Alec avoided those eyes with everything that he had. 

Scratching his neck nervously, Alec said, "Really? I didn't notice. What was I doing?"

"You were making a weird noise."

"Maybe it was the punching bag?" _Great_ , thought Alec, _I'm really selling this excuse, aren't I?_ He almost wanted to clap himself on the back for that one. It was so bad, that it was almost believable. 

"Yeah...maybe." Jace left it at that. His parabatai had been weird lately. Alec wasn't telling him anything, so best leave whatever _it_ was alone. It was either that, or deal with a defensive Alec. Both weren't great, but at least the first option allowed him to talk to his parabatai. 

Alec quickly made for the exit. He couldn't begin to describe everything to his parabatai, not now at least. With a weak excuse, Alec fled. Instincts told him to get home, to get to Magnus. So, he did. A quick text and some bargaining later, he was on his way over to the loft. _Everything will be fine_ , he told himself. Now, if only he could believe those words, then he might actually calm down. 

The next day wasn't nearly as bad as Alec thought it'd be. Jace didn't try to confront him about it, and Magnus had given him some much needed rest. All in all, he was feeling pretty good. 

That is, if his skin would stop itching. 

The first week had brought the taunt skin and restlessness. He had managed to eventually subdue it with _many_ sessions with the punching bag and his parabatai after several days. It had felt like his skin was rebelling against him, trying to get away from his body. Now, the itch was all consuming. His arms itched, the back of his neck itched, his chest itched. Everywhere _itched_. It wasn't just because of cold weather too. New York hadn't reached the end of fall, so the air was still pretty warm. His skin wasn't dry, he knew that. That knowledge didn't lessen the itching though, so he quickly discarded it. He needed a solution, not an epiphany. The longer that he was at it, the longer he wondered how his skin was still intact. It was surprisingly nice. His skin seemed to have toughened up over the last couple of weeks, but he had been unaware of that change. _Huh,_ _I guess that explains that weird hunt I had._ During week three, he and his siblings had gone to exterminate a shax nest. No matter what the demons did, his skin never seemed to take their claws like it should have. In fact, they kind of glanced off. Neither of his siblings had brought it up. _Probably assumed something else._ Several hours in however, he was thanking every angel above for that small mercy. If his skin hadn't thickened, then he would be dealing with a bloody mess by now. Everything else was already hard enough to explain away, but a mess like that would have been the final nail in the coffin. They would have made him confess. Confess to what exactly, he didn't know. The library had ended up being a dead end, and Alec wasn't anywhere closer to finding out what was happening to him. His symptoms were just simply a mystery. Should he come clean to Magnus? What would he say? Would he regret the marriage if he knew that Alec was changing? Because that was what was happening. He didn't know how or why, but he, Alec Lightwood, was changing into something. Whatever that something is has yet to be seen though. 

Throughout the day, Alec tried his best to keep the itching to a minimum. He tried icing it, slapping it, ignoring it. Nothing worked. Every private moment in his office was spent itching everywhere his hands could reach. He couldn't even bring himself to care about the work that he was missing either. It was nearing the point of desperation for him. The seraph blade on his desk was starting to look really nice, and all Alec wanted to do was drag it across his skin. Who cares about the scratches?

At least he would be free from this incessant feeling. 

"Okay, spill." 

"Hmmm?" Alec looked up from his arm which was currently bright, cherry red from his nails. The skin had raised lines from his nails, but none were distinct enough since his arms were covered in them. Izzy was tapping her foot imperiously, and her glare could put Maryse' to shame. 

"Don't 'Hmmm' me. You've been acting off all month. Hell, I think it's been longer actually. I could ignore everything else, but this scratching is getting ridiculous. How have you not broken through your skin yet?!" Izzy took his arm into her hands, and ran soothing strokes across the irritated surface. 

Without meeting her eyes, Alec whispered, "I don't know."

"What do you mean 'I don't know'. Whatever this is, it's clearly bothering you to the point of almost self-mutilating your arms."

"Look, I don't know what it is. It's probably an allergic reaction to something. Just because we're half angel, that doesn't mean we're immune to mundane things. It's probably some lame allergy too. Like flowers or something." Alec tried to lighten the mood at the end, but Izzy's glare quickly silenced that attempt. 

"Well if it is, then I'll get you antihistamines." She carefully let go of his arm after that. Her eyes were filled with love and concern. Suspicion was also present, but it was swiftly extinguished when she blinked. She turned away then, and strode down the hallway to the infirmary, leaving Alec reeling. _I really got away with that? Yeah, no, she definitely suspects something. Not that I blame her, I would too._

After that interaction, the symptoms just kept flaring up. 

One minute, he was fine. He acted normal, and his actions weren't animalistic. The next, he was either scratching his skin to death, or he was growling at someone who had slighted his family. Not only that, but the mood swings were killing him. Literally. On a mission, he was struck with a sudden flash of protectiveness. One thing led to the next, and he found himself on the floor with three deep slashes across his torso. The wounds had put him in the infirmary for three days. That's not even the weirdest bit either. First off, the protectiveness? He's always been like that, but it was almost like a sixth sense because he hadn't even known that he'd moved. Somehow a shax demon had sneaked up on Izzy, and he just somehow knew that it had. Second off, his reaction was almost instantaneous. Not even runes could have gotten him there that quickly. Lastly, the healing. Normally, a shadowhunter needs at least a week, maybe two, to heal from an injury like that. It took him three days. Both Izzy and Jace gave him a raised eyebrow when they saw him in his office three days later appearing-and moving-perfectly healthy. Luckily, they just brushed it off as Magnus' magic. They both conveniently forgot that warlock magic can't heal like that, but Alec wasn't about to remind them either. 

Eventually, the scratching settled. That is, at least it wasn't an all possessing feeling anymore. Although that was nice, that didn't help settle the unease that he'd been feeling for some time now. He couldn't put a name to it, or for when it started, all he knew was that something was going to happen. What? He didn't know. Maybe that's what unsettled him. The unknown, the lack of control. He had no idea what was happening to him, to his body, so maybe this was just another manifestation of that same fear. _At least, I hope that's it._ That feeling only intensified when standing in front of his mirror one morning.

Alec felt something.

It was just under his hairline on the back of his neck. The surface felt hard, and smooth. After dragging his finger nail across the surface, Alec was confused. He had felt that. _It's almost like a scale,_ mused Alec. He hadn't had too much time to dwell on it before Magnus had come strolling into the bathroom looking for him. Apparently, he had been in there too long, and his breakfast was getting cold. With a quick peck on the lips, the strange feeling was forgotten.

What he didn't see was the way his eyes lit up. They hadn't been hazel either.

They had been purple. 

It all came to a head during a mission. Really, Alec should have seen it coming. He had known that the feelings were building, that they weren't going away. So really, this was kinda his fault. Or it was that demon's fault. _Yeah, let's go with that._ They had gotten a late flare up of demon activity. Since it was so late out, almost nobody was up to dealing with this newest threat, so he and his siblings had ended up taking it. Alec also decided to enlist his husband's help as well. He knew that Magnus was waiting up anyway, so it really wasn't a big deal. They were the battle couple of New York after all. They had a reputation to uphold. 

Eventually, after many portals, they had arrived at the multiple nests that were being housed by an old warehouse, and to say that they misjudged the amount of demons would be an understatement. Legions of the creatures crawled throughout the space, most going about in lazy patterns. That is, until the sound of a portal drew them all to the gang. Alec didn't even had time to find an acceptable perch to shoot his arrows. Straight out the portal, they had been swarmed by multiple shax, behemoth, and ravener demons. It was a flurry of slashes and spins. They danced around the demons, always just out of reach until Alec heard it.

It was a scream for help by one of his siblings. 

Immediately, something flared up inside him. It was all consuming, and Alec couldn't help but let out a growl. Spinning around, Alec found the source. Izzy was being surrounded, and her whip had been knocked out of her hand. She was still slashing about with her seraph blade, but the demons were quickly closing in. Alec didn't get any time though. As soon as he located Izzy, his parabatai rune ached. A second later, he heard Jace cry out as well. Jace was in trouble. The only one who hadn't screamed out was Magnus, but Alec could see the magic depletion. It was in the shake of his hands, and the diluted coloring of the magic. His husband was almost done too. 

A carnal roar escaped Alec's throat at the sight. His family, no clan were in trouble. They needed him. Pain rippled through him, but he paid no attention to it. All he knew in that moment was that they needed him. He needed to protect them, and he couldn't do that in this form. No, he needed to be bigger, stronger. The too taunt skin finally broke apart. Scales erupted from beneath his skin, and bones shattered just to reform into something larger, denser. Blood flowed from the wounds, but all Alec could hear was the rushing noise it gave off.

That noise was the last thing he heard before his mind finally went primal. 

Around Alec, the battle had subsided. All three of them stood dumbstruck by the sight of Alec growing, changing. Even the demons had paused, but that quickly changed. There was no time to focus on what Alec was becoming, but Magnus could tell that it was big. His magic was waning as it was. He didn't know if he'd be able to help Alexander after this. Out of the corner of his eye, Magnus could see that Alec wasn't anywhere near done with whatever transformation he was going through. In fact, it looked like it was just beginning. _Hopefully, it'll finish sooner rather than later. We need him,_ thought Magnus. Jace and Izzy seemed to be in the same boat. Both were struggling to fight the demons while his husband gave off screams and growls. The battleground was filled with the screams of both the killed demons, and his Alexander. The moments were dragged out until suddenly, it stopped. At first, Magnus wasn't aware of what had happened. What was different? Then, the answer made itself known. 

The noises had stopped.

Without thinking, Magnus immediately portalled over to where Alexander was. Or at least where he _should_ have been. The sight before him almost knocked his back in shock. Alexander wasn't there anymore. 

No, a dragon had taken his place. 

It was a humongous beast, at least two stories tall, and wider than at least 6 full grown redwood trees. Its scales were a luminous black, but in the light, they were tinged with blues and purples. The underbelly was a visible navy blue even without light, and the pearly fangs gleamed against the dark background. The eyes were a bright, royal purple that only served to heighten the regalia of the creature. 

It was magnificent, and it was Alexander.

_Lilith, what the hell has my husband gotten himself into?!_

Initially, the dragon looked around curiously. If Alexander knew where he was, he didn't show it. With a quick scan, the dragon's mood quickly changed. He had spotted the demons. 

The battle hadn't stopped, at least, not completely. Demons still made lunges at the shadowhunters, but most were subdued by the power that this beast was exuding. It was an oppressive force, one that Magnus would gladly bow to. 

With fury in his eyes, Alexander opened his impressive maw, and let a torrent of blue flames scour the ground. The demons never stood a chance. As soon as it hit, the demon in question would turn into a fine dust that floated away with the slightest breeze. To anyone else, the display of power might have been frightening. 

To Magnus, it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. The flames themselves shifted across a veritable amount of colors, each as impressive as the last. He could see greens, blues, purples, reds flashing across the surface while the inside retained a white gold luminosity that left him speechless. Not only that, but Alexander had leaned his entire frame into the flames as well. He could see the bulging muscles that hid just beneath the layer of scales, and Magnus couldn't help but shiver. _Even like this, my husband is powerful,_ thought Magnus with a grin.

What came next was the heat. It hadn't immediately reached him, but when it did, it branded itself to his skin. It was unlike anything he'd experienced, yet the sensation wasn't entirely bad. Yes, it did knock him back initially, but as his body adjusted, he found that he felt quite protected by that warmth. 

Jace and Izzy weren't quite as lucky. 

They had both managed to get out of the way before Alexander's flames hit them, but it was a near miss. They both dove down behind cover to avoid it, yet Magnus could see that even with that shelter, they were still getting hit with the flames. After all, the decade old metal probably wasn't meant to withstand hellfire. Luckily, Alexander's stream ended before he could do any serious damage, and both siblings came out of hiding with widened eyes. That and the gaping mouths told that this was new to them too. _Alright, so what is this?_

Alexander's eyes met his siblings' eyes, but there was no recognition. Instead, the dragon took the chance to really explore his surroundings. He soon spotted Magnus, and happily ran to him. The ground shook with each step. _At least there's some recognition for me,_ thought Magnus. _Maybe this wasn't all the bad._ Alexander promptly sat down in front of him, and looked at him expectantly. Magnus just gave a raised eyebrow. What did he want? Was there something on his face? Did his hair get messed up? The solution quickly made itself known when his husband licked him. It wasn't a tiny lick either. Oh no, it was a broad stroke that encompassed his entire body. By the time he was done, Magnus was drenched in dragon spit, and Jace and Izzy were laughing their heads off. _Yeah, yeah, laugh it up,_ Magnus thought darkly, _he'll get you next._ Except, Alexander didn't move. Instead, he remained right where he was. He let out a whimper before nudging his head against Magnus. Magnus, the oblivious fool, didn't know what to do. 

While Magnus remained rooted to the spot, Jace decided to finally make his presence known. "Hey buddy, what's up? Can you understand me?" His voice resembled that of an adult talking to a pet. Jace made to move closer to Magnus, but Alec immediately whipped his head around and let out a low growl. His eyes narrowed, and his hackles raised to showcase off his newly sharpened fangs. It was intimidating to say the least. Straight away, Jace backed off. He was not about to piss off a dragon. Especially one that was nearly as tall as this building. 

Seeing this, Izzy decided to opt for a new tactic. Instead of immediately approaching Magnus, she walked up to him, and stuck out her hand. Magnus flashed her a confused look that was infused with panic, but she in turn, sent a confident grin back. If Alec didn't know her, then she was going to introduce herself before approaching Magnus. From her childhood studies, she knew that Dragonidae were extremely possessive and protective of their mates as they were one of the few that actually chose to mate in the first place. If a demon could find love in a mate, then that mate would have to be something special and precious. Something that would have to be protected at all costs. Alec didn't exactly fit that description, but dragons and Dragonidae were close enough that she could guess that the principles were the same across species. Her thoughts made her smirk. Even in human form, Alec could pass for a dragon, so being an _actual_ dragon is only going to intensify everything. 

Alec took the hint. He leaned forward when Izzy made no move to get closer to Magnus, and sniffed her hand. After several moments in a tense silence, Alec backed away. With a nod of his head, Izzy was allowed to walk up to Magnus. 

"Alright Magnus, what the hell happened? Why the hell is my brother a dragon?!" She wasn't angry, just confused. Alec continued to nuzzle against Magnus, but he paid it no mind. Rather than try to figure out Alexander's actions, he looked at Izzy equally confused. 

"Honestly darling, I have no idea, but I've got a feeling that this didn't just come out of nowhere. Has Alexander been acting strange at the Institute? I've noticed some things that have been off at the loft, but nothing concrete." 

"Actually yeah, I found him mutilating his arms the other day with his hands. It was as if he couldn't not scratch. I mean, his arms were almost scarlet in color when I managed to pull his nails away. Also the nails, they looked...pointy-er?" Izzy took a moment to think back to that particular conversation before adding, "Ohhh and the skin wasn't breaking either. He must have been at it for hours, yet there wasn't any blood from his scratching."

Jace piped up from where he was standing then. He didn't want to take any chances, so he had just remained in his place. Jace swears that Alec looked at him with a draconic smirk though, but pushed on to say, "Yeah, I found him in the training room one day. It was as if his entire chest was rumbling. The noise was even weirder. I've never heard anyone do that before, but as soon as I commented on it, he got all defensive and left." Jace took a moment to breath when another thought occurred to him, "In fact, Underhill mentioned something to me as well. Apparently, Mr. Calm and Collected here attacked another shadowhunter in the hallway when he spat a homophobic slur at them. Underhill said it was like Alec couldn't see reason, he just reacted. Alec didn't mention anything, and didn't bring it up again, so Underhill dropped it." 

"That is strange...hmmm, and what, this was three maybe four weeks ago?" Izzy looked back up at Alec then. The dragon was looking at them with love and adoration clear in his features, but the foreign eyes made it disconcerting. That's how Alec usually looked at her, not this dragon. It was hard to reconcile this with the same man that she'd grown up. "What happened to you, hermano?" she whispered. 

"So how long do you think this'll last?" Jace asked. 

"Probably a while. Changes like this usually take a bit to settle. Once he falls unconscious in this state, he should revert back to his human form. After that...I don't know. This might be permanent."

Then suddenly as if those were the magic words, Alec's eyes fluttered, and his body swayed. His body came down with a crash, falling to the left. He managed to avoid crushing them, and all three couldn't help but be thankful for that small mercy. Seriously, a twenty ton beast wasn't moving even with warlock magic and shadowhunter runes. 

All three couldn't help but stare down at Alec with thinly veiled horror. Good thing Alec had fallen unconscious, or else he would have had to feel his bones breaking and reforming while his skin compressed his entire being into the shape they all knew and loved. Unsurprisingly, his clothes didn't make it. _That's a simple fix_ , thought Magnus. With a snap, clothes were on his husband, but that seemed to cause some distress for the unconscious figure. He began to fidget on the ground, and scales began to pepper his skin. A hiss escaped his husband's lips, and he could see his fangs starting to grow again. Quickly, Magnus got rid of the new clothing, leaving his husband once again in the nude. 

"Well, that's interesting." Jace was the first to break the awkward silence. Izzy looked at him, and said, "Well it kinda makes sense. His skin is probably really sensitive right now, so clothes would have just felt rough against it."

"You've got a fair point there." Magnus took a moment to breath, and shut his eyes. He had no idea what was happening to the man he loves. That alone brought a fearful shiver down his back. Slowly, a plan formed, but Magnus couldn't help but feel that it might not work. _Well, it's not like I have anything else so..._ With that thought, Magnus opened his eyes and said, "Alright, I'm taking him back to the loft. Hopefully, there aren't any more surprise transformations, but I can't be sure. I think it's best if he's in a familiar place if he does accidentally transform. Both of you are welcome to accompany me back as well. That is unless you have other things to attend to."

Both Izzy and Jace shook their heads. No way were they going to leave their brother while he was like this. Magnus gave a nod, and snapped his fingers once again. Tendrils of magic wrapped themselves around his husband. His heart gave a flutter when he saw how Alexander's body relaxed into the hold like how he always did. Another snap later, and all three walked through with Alec in tow. 

_This was going to be interesting._


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Direct aftermath of the warehouse scene. Some sibling and Malec fluff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I'm back with an update to the fic! Hope this is a good follow up for everyone. It's a bit shorter of an episode, so sorry for that. But, I did try to put meaningful content so there's that~

Waking up wasn't so fun for Alec. 

The first thing that he registered was pain. It was everywhere. His legs hurt, his arms were killing him, and his chest felt like it was on fire. It wasn't like he'd never experienced pain before, but this was something entirely new. His muscles felt shredded while his bones literally felt as if they had been shattered repeatedly. Alec felt like his skin had been stretched apart by the seams, and stitched back together all wrong, and he couldn't help but let out a pained groan. Even blinking brought a sharp pain to his temple. He could already feel a headache starting to bloom, but pushed past it to figure out where he was. 

He was in the loft. 

That brought a smile to his lips. _This wasn't so bad-_

This train of thought was quickly derailed when his body fully came back. After the hell on earth days of week three, he had thought that he'd gotten used to the extra senses. Turns out he was wrong. It was like they had been increased _again_. If he had thought of the third week as hell on earth, then this was like all nine circles of Dante's Inferno, each harsher than the last. Each breath brought a sharp mix of overwhelming smells while he could hear the passing cars as if they were about to run him over. _At this point, I'd probably ask them to_ , Alec deadpanned. There was only so much that someone could take. Especially when that someone had to be assaulted by every little noise, smell, feeling, sight, and taste all at once. 

So, Alec laid there for a moment longer, just trying to scrape enough will power together to get up. Eventually, the sensory overload lessened. When he found that he could at least function semi-properly, Alec took to looking around the loft. The all too familiar golden sheets glimmered in his eyes, and the smell of _them_ brought another smile to his face. Absentmindedly, he patted around the other side of the bed.

_Where was Magnus?_

His internal alarm clock was telling him that it was early morning, but that didn't explain why Magnus wasn't in bed with him. He let out a frustrated growl, and reached out for Magnus' pillow. He pressed it to his nose, inhaling his husband's scent which immediately relaxed him. _Why wasn't Magnus here?_ The thought made him whimper. 

A noise startled him back to reality. It immediately made him go on guard. He raised his hackles, growling at the intruder. Nobody was going to come in here, and mess with him and Magnus' space. It was theirs, nobody else's. His fangs came out to play, and his nails sharpened to points. His eyes flared a violent purple. Scales began to pepper their way down his body, but Alec paid it no mind. No, he was too busy looking for the danger. When he finally spotted it, his mind went blank. 

Jace stood frozen in the doorway. His entire body had gone rigid, and the hand that wasn't gripping the door frame was subtly dropping down to his sheathed seraph blade. Straight away, Alec calmed down. Jace still wasn't allowed in, but at least he had stayed out. 

"Hey buddy, what's up?" Jace asked carefully. His hand hadn't strayed far from his seraph blade, but Alec didn't notice that. Instead, Alec noticed the smell of fear that coated his brother like a blanket. 

"Nothing. Are you okay? Did something happen at the warehouse? I can't seem to remember much. Did something happen to Izzy? Magnus?" That last part made Alec finish waking up. Where was Izzy? Where was Magnus? Were they okay? Why was he just sitting there, he had to go find them. No sooner had that thought left his mind, Magnus came strolling in. Just seeing him made his chest do a happy rumble. A smile stretched its way across his face, and Alec couldn't help but reach out for his husband. Seeing this, Magnus made his way over thinking that Alec wanted something.

Alec did indeed want something. 

As soon as Magnus was within reaching distance, Alec grabbed him, and dragged him into bed. Magnus gave a surprised yelp, but still went along with it. Although, It wasn't like he had much of a choice. Dragon strength was no joke. Getting Magnus into his arms, Alec gave a happy rumble. That is until he caught how faint he scent was. _I have to fix that!_ Alec gave a slight whimper before rubbing his face against Magnus, lost in his own world while Jace and Magnus looked on with mystified faces. 

"What the hell is he doing?" Jace whispered forcefully. 

"Hmmm, I think he's scent marking me." Magnus said thoughtfully. He had thought dragons were extinct, so his knowledge of the mythical beasts was...limited to say the least. What he could find were the most well known traits and behaviors of said beasts. One of them being scent marking. Magnus gave a sideways glance at his husband. Alec was just carrying on unaffected by the two's words. All the while, his chest was giving off a purring sound, something that Magnus couldn't help but find adorable. 

Just as he was about to explain all of this to Jace, Izzy walked into the bedroom, "Alright, we've got to deal with this. Alec...Alexander!" Izzy yelled. That seemed to snap Alec out of his trance. He looked down at Magnus in confusion before realization came crashing down. 

"Raziel, what was I just doing?!" Alec threw his hands up onto his head, obviously just as confused as everyone else. He remembered doing it, but what had made him do it?

"That, brother dearest, is what we were hoping you'd help us with."

Alec took a second to think. Where to begin? Only after looking at his arms, did Alec realize how serious the situation was. 

He had scales. 

"By the Angel, what the hell is going on with my arms?!" Alec quickly ran his hands against his body, each body part feeling reptilian under his frantic checking. His breath was coming in short bursts, and Alec could feel his panic growing. 

"Darling, come down. You're okay, we're here." When that didn't seem to help his husband, Magnus continued with, "How about you tell us about the previous weeks? Jace and Izzy mentioned something about off behavior and I couldn't help but agree. Whatever had happened to you didn't come out of nowhere, and we'd like to get to the bottom of this, okay?" The diversion worked because Alec started to calm down slightly. His eyes were still filled with fear however, but there was an edge of hope peeking through.

Alec took a deep breath, and willed himself to relax. He watched in fascination as his scales sunk just below the surface of his skin. Next came the nails. They retracted back into his nail beds, a strange experience. The weirdest feeling though came when his teeth evened out into their normal blunt shapes. He hadn't even noticed the raised shapes, but now that he had flat teeth again, he found that talking was a bit off. What he couldn't see was the way his violet eyes faded back into his warm hazels. 

"So...I've been feeling off for a few weeks now."

Izzy and Jace looked about two seconds from exploding, but Alec was just focusing on Magnus at this point. All he saw was loving concern in those beautiful cat eyes, so he continued, "It started after our wedding. Or at least, I noticed the signs after our wedding. It started out as small things, but steadily over the weeks, it grew into something else. I didn't know what was happening, so I resolved to try and figure it out myself. I looked everywhere, but I couldn't find any answers. I guess I have my answers now though, huh?" Alec ended that with a lopsided grin that didn't quite reach his eyes. Magnus made a wounded sound, and reached out to cradle Alec's face. Alec leaned into the grounding touch. Magnus had always been a beacon of stability for him, but now more than ever did he need his husband.

"Alec, you could have come to any of us about this. You know that right?" Izzy said. Her arms were crossed across her chest angrily. Alec winced, he knew that they were going to say that. 

"Izzy, I didn't know what was happening. I didn't know how to tell you that something was wrong when I didn't even know _if_ something was wrong." said Alec bluntly. He'd been struggling with this precise argument for weeks now. He just couldn't bring himself to tell them because what if it was nothing? What if he was just imagining things? The lack of information just helped to solidify that in his already worried mind, so he had dropped it. 

"Well, It's just...we could have helped, that's all I'm saying. Then maybe seeing and hearing you in agony wouldn't have surprised us so much." Izzy said. Her glare had softened with that admission, her true feelings coming out. _Izzy wasn't mad, she was worried,_ thought Alec. He let out a small sigh of relief. At least his siblings weren't mad at him then. 

"Guess that explains the pain then. I still don't remember what happened, but I can guess a few things. Mind filling me in?"

"Well, if you haven't guessed it, you transformed into a dragon." Jace said. 

Despite knowing that already, Alec found it quite a shock. Why was he a dragon? What the hell had happened to him? Was he still a shadowhunter? His thoughts swirled in his mind chaotically until he felt the emotions start to crest. Panic engulfed his mind, and his body was already starting to show the signs. Magnus brought both of his hands to Alec's face, and held him so that his eyes were forced to look into his. He said, "Alexander, I need you to calm down, okay? Here, breath in...breath out....come on darling, breath in...breath out. There you go, better?" Alec nodded, but his eyes still remained their deep, royal purple. They were wide with anxiety, and were already taking on a reptilian-shaped slit. 

Magnus knew his husband. He could tell that Alec was about two seconds from having a full blown panic attack, something that would only worsen the situation. Especially, if that led to an impromptu transformation. His loft wasn't built for that after all. 

"Izzy, Jace, I need you to leave. I'll talk with your brother, but both of you need to go back to the living room." All three siblings started to protest, but Magnus quickly silenced all three with a look. "Now." Jace and Izzy scrambled to leave. An angry Magnus wasn't ideal, and with Alec out, there wasn't anybody to calm the man down. Instead of trying to push it, they both fled back to the safety of the living room, closing the door with a firm thud. 

Not that Magnus saw. He was too busy looking into Alec's eyes. When he was sure that Alec wasn't about to explode, he dropped his gaze back to the door. 

"Magnus-"

"Darling, you don't have to talk about everything quite yet. I can still see that you're clearly exhausted. How about we leave that conversation till you're ready?" Alec gave an appreciative noise, and let his head drop onto Magnus' shoulder. Like this, a comfortable silence blossomed in the space of their bedroom, and both were too out of it to change that. Eventually, Alec made his way out of his head just to notice an even bigger problem. He wasn't really thinking now. On purely instincts, he began to nudge Magnus' neck, trying to get his husband to give him more access. When Magnus got the hint, and tilted his head to the side, Alec gave a happy rumble. Then, without a moment's hesitation, he began to rub his cheek against Magnus' neck. His husband, no _mate_ , didn't smell like _his_. That had to be fixed immediately. Magnus didn't resist it either. He sat there, and let his husband do what he needed to do. What he didn't expect was the noise that Alec started to produce. It was a content rumble that emanated from his chest, but Magnus didn't find it any less comforting. Soon enough, he felt his eyelids drooping from exhaustion. He wasn't alone in this though. Alec's movements were becoming sluggish until eventually, even they stopped. Magnus didn't fight this either. 

In the comfort of his husband's arms, both dropped off into a deep sleep. 

When Alec next woke up, it felt like his entire being was filled with content. 

He glanced down and saw the reason. Magnus had fallen asleep in his arms, and Alec couldn't be happier. He let himself bask in this moment for a bit longer before his more urgent thoughts pushed their way to the forefront of his mind. 

He was a dragon. 

Just the thought sent a shiver down his spine. How the hell did one become a dragon in the first place!? It wasn't exactly a common occurrence after all. Did it have something to do with Edom? The Edom line of thinking felt right, but not all the way. Edom had affected him, that was clear enough, but Edom was also clearly not the main cause for all of this. Something else had happened, something that he just couldn't explain. Whatever it was however, he could face it. He had his family, his family that loved him unconditionally. With them, he could face anything. 

With his new resolve, Alec began to gently poke Magnus awake. He didn't want to be too harsh about it since Magnus always complained when he didn't get his beauty sleep, but Alec felt that _this_ would top that priority real quick. Slowly, Magnus began to twitch, but never quite woke up. _Fine_ , grumbled Alec, _see how you like my other method then_. Instead of the gentle poking, Alec began to kiss his way down Magnus' neck, making sure to pay extra attention to all of those spots that he knew his husband loved. He nipped, sucked, licked his way down until he found himself at Magnus' collarbone. All throughout this, Magnus had begun to twitch until Alec finally made his way back up to his neck, giving the area one last kiss before biting down hard enough to draw the slightest amount of blood. Magnus woke up with a gasp, and quickly sought out Alec's lips. They continued to consume each other, each kissing with a hint of desperation. Too soon did the kiss turn heated, but before Alec could strip Magnus of his clothes, Magnus pulled back to catch some much needed breath. Of course Alec chased his lips, but Magnus just continued to move away which made Alec whimper. 

"Ah, ah, darling, we have some things to talk about."

"But Magnus..."

  
"No. Alexander, we need to talk about the elephant in the room. Or should I say dragon?" Alec gave a groan at that, and dropped his head onto Magnus' chest. How his husband could make a joke out of everything, he would never know. 

"Well, there's not much to talk about, is there? I've been feeling off for a couple of weeks. Something at the warehouse must have made me snap or something, so then my body finally transformed." Magnus just continued to nod along. 

"What doesn't make sense is why you transformed."

"...I might have an idea about why that is..." Alec whispered. He continued with, "I think Edom plays into this somehow, but I don't know exactly."

Magnus gave a hum at that. It made sense. "Alright, well can you think of anything _before_ Edom?"

He was met with a very confused Alec, who said, "What? No. Nothing's ever been like this if that's what you're asking. I mean, you know me, I've always been protective and stuff, so that's not new or anything." 

"I don't know, Alexander. Something like this doesn't just _happen_." When Alec looked ready to cut in, Magnus continued on with, "Even with the weeks that you told us about, someone just doesn't transform into a dragon." Then, like an afterthought, Magnus asked, "What were those weeks like, darling?" 

A contemplative noise left Alec's throat, and he thought for a moment. How was he going to describe the absolute mess that these last few weeks had been for him? "Well....the first week was easiest. Just some behavior stuff. It was just uncomfortable really. My skin was all taunt and stuff, and I just couldn't settle for anything. It was like this restless energy that wouldn't let me relax."

"Oh believe me darling, I know." Magnus said with a wink. That week, Alec had been so...driven. Magnus had just passed it off as the honeymoon period, but after it continued, he just let it be. It's not like he was complaining either. His husband was on fire that week, and the ride had been _pleasurable_. 

Despite everything that they'd done together, Alec's cheeks still gave a light blush at his husband's words. _I don't think anything's ever going to break me from that_. Alec coughed, and continued with, "Anyways, the second week rolled around. It was a bit worse, but besides that it wasn't anything major. In hindsight, I guess it was just instincts and stuff." Magnus gave an unimpressed eyebrow raise at that. The possessiveness hadn't gone unnoticed either by Magnus, but again he had passed it off as the honeymoon period. He didn't know about Izzy or Jace, but "instincts" was putting it lightly.

When Magnus didn't say anything, Alec said, "Then the third week happened. By the Angel, Magnus, it was hell for me." Alec clenched his eyes shut just remembering the first day that he awoke with the sensory overload. He continued, "I woke up, and it was like I couldn't see because everything that I was looking at was magnified. I almost couldn't get up that first day, it was so bad. Everything was just overloading me, and I spent the rest of that week with a low lying headache."

"Oh darling, I'm so sorry." Magnus reached up to stroke his cheek. Alec leaned into the touch like a lifeline, and said, "Fourth week was okay. I couldn't stop itching though. It was like I couldn't settle in my skin like the first week, but for the fourth week, it was more intense."

A look of understanding dawned on Magnus' face, "That's why you kept slapping your arms. I just thought that you were trying to swat at bugs. Guess those extra spells for pests went unused, huh?" That managed to crack a smile out of Alec, but still his eyes remained worried. 

So, instead of asking more questions, Magnus took his husband's face into his hands and said, "Darling, it's going to be okay-"

"But how can you know that?! Magnus, this isn't normal. People don't just transform into mythical, extinct beasts! This isn't...you didn't deserve this. You didn't marry a dragon!" he finished quietly. _Ah_ , thought Magnus, _that's what this was about._ Alec looked down at the comforter as his hand began to absentmindedly pick at a loose string. 

Magnus couldn't let this stand. His husband was the sweetest, kindest man he'd ever met, but even he had his insecurities. Magnus gently cradled Alec's face with both of his hands, and said, "Alexander, this doesn't change my feelings in the slightest. For now and always, right?" 

Alec looked back at him with hesitant hope. His voice was still quiet as he whispered, "You're sure? You're sure that this doesn't change anything between us?"

"Yes dear, you're my husband. I love you with all my heart. Just because you grew scales isn't going to change that." 

His husband let out a laugh at that. Leave it to Magnus to find the light in every situation. "Okay...we'll figure this out. Together."

"Of course." Alec let out a sigh of relief. He was going to be okay. _They_ were going to be okay. 

With that, Alec let himself relax fully in the arms of his husband. He rested his head against his neck. Moments passed in a blissful silence, both just content to be in the other's presence. Alec gripped Magnus tightly against his body, taking deep breaths of Magnus' scent. It had always calmed him, but now it was like relaxation in its purest form. _Cinnamon and Star Anise,_ thought Alec, _something else too...burnt sugar? Yes, burnt sugar. Must be the magic. Perfectly Magnus._ It just help to further relax him that Magnus didn't seem to mind either. Magnus just gave a hum when Alec nudged his head against his neck before giving Alec more access. He took that as a hint, and began to pepper kisses down his neck, each growing more and more bold until hickies began to appear on the beautifully golden skin of his husband. Magnus didn't object either. No, he started to give out soft moans as his husband began to mark his neck, each sending a sizzle of arousal down his spine, but before they could take the make out session further, a sharp knock could be heard against their bedroom door.

Alec let out a growl, trying to warn anyone against interrupting him. Magnus just let out a small laugh before disentangling himself from Alec's arms. When his husband let out a small whine, he turned back and said, "It's alright darling, we'll continue this when your siblings aren't here, how about that?" He couldn't help but laugh when Alec immediately perked up, and nodded his head vigorously. He turned back to the door, and said, "Come in!"

Jace and Izzy both walked in cautiously. The reason being is that they were both covering each others' eyes. "You can stop that now. We're both fully dressed, thank you very much." Magnus said, voice filled with exasperation. 

"Are you sure because I've already walked in enough to see some pretty heavy nightmare fuel. I don't need to be seeing anything else now that Alec's a dragon." Jace said. He still had his hand covering his eyes, but had separated two of his fingers to peek through. Alec just gave a loud huff. _It wasn't their fault if Jace didn't know how to knock._ Just as he was about to explain this, Magnus beat him to it with, "Fair enough Blondie, but just know that it's not our fault that we like intimacy in _our_ loft. Whatever you've seen is just because you can't seem to remember the common courtesy of knocking."

Jace at least had the decency to look slightly abashed, but before Alec could tease him further, Izzy interrupted, "So hermano... I've got questions." 

Alec met her eyes with a smirk.

"Fire away."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How was it? Were the conversations okay? My dialogues a bit...rudimentary. Or at least, that's what it feels like to me. Hopefully, you found it good though. 
> 
> Also, this fic is going to be shorter than my others. Probably only going to do 3 or 4 chapters for the story.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Five times Alec's new form is nearly discovered and one time it is

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Welcome back, I just wanted to do some comedy bits (Trying to at least...) 
> 
> Also, I couldn't figure out collections, so I'm just doing this as another chapter...

The aftermath of it all wasn't bad. 

Izzy- being the scientist of the family- proceeded to run dozens of tests to see just how much he had changed. Adamas still reacted to him, it was just dimmer. He could still wield seraph blades effectively, and his prized bow still shot arrows perfectly. His stele lit up with each touch too.

Runes were a bit tricky though.

Alec couldn't tell if anything was off. Really, he had never paid enough attention to see a difference. The only give away that he was _more_ than your average shadowhunter was that his runes glowed a faint silver when activated. It was hardly noticeable, but it was still _there_.

The duration might have been a bit shorter than before too, but again, Alec couldn't really tell a difference. 

Once Izzy was satisfied with her results, he had to suffer through Jace's tests too. They weren't hard by any means. No, they were just tedious. Jace had never been one to sit back and observe. His preferred method of data was to hit it on the head with a stick. So, Jace would repeatedly pop out at him at random times to test his reflexes.

Needless to say, after the third broken nose, he gave that up. 

But that didn't stop him. He continued to try and test Alec's skills. Just this time, he approached with a plan. The plan? It was sparring. Jace continued to challenge him to sparring matches to see who would come out on top. He even activated his runes without his stele to give Alec that extra push. Not surprisingly, Alec managed to kick his ass multiple times with his newfound strength. The day that they covered hand to hand combat, Jace left mumbling to himself something about "cheating" and "unfair".

Then, came Magnus. 

He didn't really push it. To anyone else, it would seem that he had forgotten the entire event all together. There were no tests, no lab results. Instead, he would just ask questions. 

"Are the smells bothering you?"

"Do you need to shift?"

"How are the lights?"

In company, they were more subtle of course. He couldn't be going around asking things about scales and fire breathing after all, but he still found ways to check up on him. 

Every time he was met with a smile too. Despite the craziness of everything, Magnus never faltered, never ran away. Alec couldn't help the feelings of happiness and joy when he thought of it. They of course still discussed normal things too, but now their conversations were mixed with oddities that would have confused anyone else. 

  
Case and point, Catarina.

She had just rounded the corner when she finally got a glance of the couple. Alec was boxing Magnus in against the wall, but it wasn't threatening. _He looked oddly...protective?_ Alec's face was set in a scowl while Magnus just looked up at him with soft adoration that was mixed with a hint of concern. But, before she could say anything, Alec began to talk. 

"Magnus, I don't like how he was talking to you.", he rasped. His voice held a threatening edge that would have made anyone shiver. 

In turn, Magnus places his hand against Alec's chest, trying to calm down his husband. He whispered, "Alexander, I assure you, he's a friend. Nothing more."

A soft growl left Alec along with, "Yeah well, better tell him that. The amount of pheromones that he was sending out could have fooled me." _Pheromones? Like animals?,_ Catarina thought confusedly.

The next thing that she saw really surprised her. Magnus had an almost sheepish expression on his face, one that she'd never seen before Alec Lightwood. That and his stuttered response left her wide-eyed. "Really?...Ah well, next time, I'll not so subtly drop hints of our marriage. Maybe showcase my wedding band a bit too, how about that?" Just to prove it, he brought his left hand up to Alec's eyes. The shadowhunter seemed to be mesmerized for a second before another growl made its way from his throat. "Not good enough."

Magnus snorted and rolled his eyes fondly before continuing, "Then, how about you give me more marks?" Just for good measure, her friend made sure to add a not-so-subtle wink too. Catarina almost laughed at that. Her friend was such a flirt that sometimes, she wondered how he had gotten this shy, timid shadowhunter as a husband. What she wasn't counting on was how Alec visibly perked up at the suggestion. 

"I think I like that idea." was all that Alec said before rushing forward, and capturing Magnus' lips in a heated kiss. Even from where she was, the love and passion behind the simple act was startling. Alec moved quickly, first working Magnus' lips into a bruised mess, then moving to his neck. Catarina could already see the numerous marks there from previous encounters, but Alec seemed determined to leave as many as possible. When the couple had to break for air, she could hear whispers of, "You're mine." and "Just yours". 

Not wanting to see this any longer because _Why were they like this_?, she went ahead, and coughed lightly into her hand. It was almost worth it to see the both of them spring back from each, Magnus colliding with the wall, Alec almost tripping over from how fast he moved. She let them have a moment while she gave them both a knowing smile. 

Of the two, Magnus recovered faster, no doubt due to his many years of experience. "Catarina! What a lovely surprise!"

She fixed a look at Magnus, one that said that she wasn't buying it, "Is it?" 

"Of course, of course. You just caught us at a...bad time."

"I see that." She pinched her brow. _Why was her friend like this?_ "Everybody is wondering where you two disappeared to. This is _your_ party after all." Alec had by now recovered enough to walk over to Magnus, and wrap his arms around his torso. _Scratch that, why are they both like this?_ The grip wasn't loose either. No, it was possessive, and Catarina couldn't help but ask, "I heard some interesting things...Why were you guys discussing pheromones?"

Alec and Magnus shared a look between the two of them before Alec said a bit too quickly, "No reason." She raised an eyebrow, but didn't press. Alec had never been the best liar, and it seemed even with Magnus' influence, he still couldn't give a decent lie. 

"...okay, well I suggest you guys get out there before someone thinks that you ditched the party entirely. I wouldn't be surprised if some _already_ thought that too." They at least looked a little sheepish about it, but both didn't comment further. Magnus took Alec's hand, and led him out to the main floor. A chorus of cheers told her that they'd been greeted back. She even thought she heard some catcalls and jokes that involved...dragons?

 _Weird,_ was all that she thought before turning back around, and returning to the party.

  
Raphael was the next to notice something off. 

It was supposed to be a routine mission, one that Raphael had attended because the case involved a rogue vampire that was killing mundanes. He and Alec had been backed into a dark alley, and the rogue was stalking towards them with their fangs out. Instantly, Raphael knew that the vampire was being ruled by their bloodlust, but before he could tell Alec, the rogue charged. 

At full vampiric speed, the rogue slashed at the shadowhunter, but instead of being torn apart, Alec just simply ducked. Raphael had to blink for a second after that. _Had he activated his speed rune?_ Raphael hadn't seen that particular one activated, but maybe he had traced over it while he wasn't looking. _Probably, those steles of theirs are tiny._

Shaking his head, Raphael ran back to cover the exit of the alley. His own fangs were out, and he let out a hiss. The rogue must've been a fledgling because for a second, they faltered. The rogue tried to take another swipe, but even with it being sloppy, it was still fast. No matter what his feelings for the shadowhunter may be, he still didn't want to see the guy hurt. So, Raphael prepared to sprint in, but Alec again surprised him. Alec simply stepped out of the way, not a single scratch visible. _What was going on with Magnus' shadowhunter?_

Then, quick as lightning, Alec slashed downwards with his seraph blade. It wasn't a lethal blow, but it was enough to immobilize the rogue long enough for Raphael to contain him. Raphael gave the man a nod of acknowledgement, and watched him stalk out of the alleyway, the entire time thinking, _Did his eyes just flash purple?_

Underhill should've known that whatever hadn't worn off. 

Of course, he'd seen and experienced his boss' mood swings for weeks now, but to be fair, he had thought that Alec was getting better. For weeks, his boss had been snappish with everyone, or overly cautious with others. Then, he's absent for a week and a half, and when he comes back, he's back to his normal self. 

That is, until Underhill saw the fire. 

As head of security, he had a few privileges. One of those being, that he could walk into Alec's office with little to no warning or planning. He still knocked, but besides that, he didn't need to set up anything to talk to the man. So, as he was entering Alec's office, he didn't think about it too much. He had his head down in his reports that he was there to deliver, not envying the paperwork that his boss had to do. The Clave really was a bureaucratic mess, but this week had been especially bad. Four demon nests, two botched summonings- both leading to multiple rifts- and six mundane casualties. To say that the paperwork would take hours was an understatement. 

Really, he couldn't blame the man either.

He would want to watch those papers burn too if he could. 

One minute he was holding a stack of papers, the next he's holding a literal bonfire. With a yelp, he quickly dropped them onto the carpet, and started to stomp his foot down in hopes of squashing the fire before it could spread. He looked up with wide eyes and was met with a similar reaction from Alec. The man in question was now standing up with both of his palms on top of his desk while his eyes had gone huge too. Silence filled the space as both tried to come up with reasons, but eventually Underhill decided that it wasn't worth it. 

Without so much as a second glance, Underhill gave his boss a salute, and then quickly strode back to the ops center.

Just as the door was about to swing shut, he heard Alec give several dry coughs and say, "Damnit, not again."

_Maybe crossing Alec wasn't the best idea ever._

It never ended well for her, and this time was no exception. Really, it was supposed to be a routine thing. Of course she had to go, and divert from what she was supposed to do, but so what? Simon hadn't complained, so why should she?

Alec made sure to remind her. 

Both of them were currently being stared down by a very angry Alec. Simon was pointedly looking anywhere else but Alec's face while she was trying to stare into those eyes with an equal intensity. It wasn't working. He had her beat with a glare. It wasn't even a competition.

He knew that too. 

"What, the hell, were you _thinking_?" He used that word loosely because obviously, someone who was thinking would have seen the plan's flaws from a mile away. 

"Well, I was- we were thinking that we could do more in that area. Clary with her runes, and me with my speed. You know? We could really do something. I mean of course you know. You're the Institute's head after all. I mean it would make you a really bad leader if you didn't know. Right Clary? We were-"

"Silence, Simon. _Please_." Simon gulped, but did indeed shut up. Alec's voice had a forced calm quality to it, but Clary shivered. He stood up then. How a man could command such a presence while still sitting down was a mystery to each of them. If anything, his presence had _increased_. His palms were pressed flat against the desk, and white with how hard he was clenching them. They almost seemed to _sink_ into the hard oak.

"Do you have any, ANY idea what you could have caused? Do you? Your reckless actions could have cost someone their life. Their life! I thought you had learned from the war, but apparently not! You still act like children, so guess what?" A feral look settled into his eyes. He turned to Clary and said, "Clary!" Her eyes snapped up. "You get inchor duty for a month. No patrols either. Your training will also be upped." Despite what she knew, Clary still opened her mouth to protest. _How could he do this to me?_ He just fixed her with a glare that was pure rage, and said, "If you're going to act like a child, you will be treated as such." 

Next, came Simon. When Alec turned to him, the man was already looking to bolt into the next century. Anything to avoid Alec Lightwood's wraith. He started to yell at him, "Simon! I know that Clary might _seem_ like she has a good idea, but you need to use your head! You can't just go with whatever she says!" All the while, Alec's palms looked to be melting into the hardwood of his desk, inch by agonizing inch. A faint trail of smoke arose, but Alec just continued, "You're better than this! I know this, Isabelle knows this. What if Clary's scheme had gotten both of you killed. What about the other's that were on patrol with you!" By this point, even Simon had noticed the acrid smell of smoke in the air, and was trying to subtly look around for it. Clary just kept looking at the place where his palms were with wide eyes until Simon took the hint. When Simon finally found the source, he continued to look down as well, effectively ignoring Alec's rampage. 

"WILL BOTH OF YOU FOCUS!"

This startled both of them out of their confusion. They looked up, and Alec's face was the perfect picture of rage. His eyes were filled with anger while his jaw was clenched so tight that Simon could hear them grinding together. His fingertips were digging into the wood, but instead of harmlessly scraping against the surface, the wood pooled underneath. 

Without so much as a word, Clary and Simon both pointed down to the desk. 

It took Alec precisely two seconds to kick them out of his office. Clary and Simon looked at each other, mystified. 

_What the hell was going on with Alec?_

_That's not what a nephilim would do_ , Ragnor thought distantly.

Ragnor couldn't help but stare as Alec was currently rubbing his head against Magnus' neck. Something that was _very_ unnephilim-like. Magnus wasn't even questioning it either, so it must have been a pretty common occurrence if he was being so nonchalant about it. 

The pair in question was cuddled up against each other in a corner. Magnus had somehow ended up in Alec's lap, but the nephilim was certainly not complaining. In fact, he looked to be quite enjoying himself with...whatever he was doing. The night had started out normal enough, but the amount of alcohol seems to have gotten to the both of them as both were acting like oblivious idiots. Not that he could blame them. The get together was loud as it was, everyone too tipsy to care about a little bit of PDA. Ragnor took a moment to appreciate it though. After all, it wasn't everyday that he saw nephilim and downworlders intermingling. When Magnus had suggested a night together, he had scoffed at the idea, but he quickly found out that Magnus had been serious. Everyone here was _happy_ to be here, and really, that was an impressive feat. Catarina had showed up with a bottle of wine in hand, and much to his surprise, Raphael had shown up with Simon in tow. Of course, the whole nephilim group was present, but he really didn't care enough to give them a second glance.

 _It truly was impressive,_ mused Ragnor _, that one single boy could achieve so much in such a short time._

A noise snapped him out of his reverence. It wasn't loud, but it was distinct enough to catch his attention. He looked around, but nobody else startled at it. He had never been the loud type at a party. No, he preferred to sit back in the shadows to observe everyone else. His thoughts were important after all. The noise was unlike anything he'd ever heard before, so with his curiosity peaked, he began to look around for the source. 

His eyes landed on Alec almost instantly. 

Even from this distance, he could see that the man's chest was vibrating. 

Just as he was about to ask, Magnus reached up a hand to playfully swat at Alec's arm. He could hear a "Stop..." and that's about it. Whatever it was though, made Alec pout, so it couldn't have been good. A low whine sounded from Alec's throat which just surprised him more. _What the hell was going on with this nephilim?_ Alec looked absolutely crestfallen, but Magnus just responded with his own playfulness. His friend brought his lips to Alec's ears, and began to whisper to him. Ragnor could only guess that it was dirty because the next thing he knew, Alec's lips were stretching out into a feral grin. He nipped at Magnus' neck, but otherwise kept his hands to himself. 

Ragnor turned away, thinking that whatever had happened was just a consequence of too many drinks. 

When a low growl sounded off from their corner, he whipped his head around. 

Magnus had an arm wrapped around Alec's neck as the nephilim attacked his neck. By this point, others had started to notice the couple, and when Magnus emitted a low moan, they collectively decided that the party was over. They of course gave each other looks of exasperation, but began moving towards the exit or portal. Jace was the first to disappear, something about "nightmarish images". It didn't take long for everyone to leave after that. 

Ragnor, being the last one out, began to close the door behind himself. Just as he was about to slam the door shut, he heard a growled "Mine." come from the couple. 

_Again, what in the name of Lilith was going on with that nephilim?_

_Why, oh why, did the Circle have to be such a pain in the ass?_

Apparently, the Circle hadn't gotten enough action during the war, so the fools had decided to gang up and try to attack the New York Institute. During a cabinet meeting no less. Really, how Valentine used them was a mystery. _I guess zealots beat skilled warriors any day,_ grumbled Alec. It wasn't even a hard battle either. The summoned demons weren't even greater ones. Honestly, the entire thing was just long and tedious. _By this rate, we'll be done in time to finish the meeting,_ thought Alec smugly. 

He really shouldn't have thought that. 

_Okay, maybe the whole dragon-thing has made me a touch arrogant,_ Alec thought as he saw the barrage of flight demons swoop down from the sky. It didn't stop there either. _So much for just being lesser demons._ Greater demons began to crawl into the courtyard. Even with their numbers, this was going to be tough. 

Raphael sprinted up to him. His normally composed demeanor was cracking as he said, "Alec, we need backup. One of mine just ran back, and he saw an open rift. It was spilling demons, and he said it looked like they were trying to open another." 

With a slash, he killed a lesser demon, and turned to the vampire, "I could call Idris, but something like this will take time to get troops for. Is there any way that you could get more vampires here?"

Just as Raphael was going to answer, Maia came running up. She was panting for breath, but still managed to choke out, "Alec- the front lines are starting to falter. My wolves and I are trying, but there's nothing else we can do." Catarina had joined them by this point. She said, "I've sent fire messages out to all warlocks that would be willing to join. I haven't gotten any answers yet."

Tension filled Alec's entire being. He was _this_ close to losing control, and letting the whole downworld see what he could do. It was roaring through him just waiting to launch out of him and kill.

"Arghhh..." Alec whipped his head around just in time to watch Magnus crumple to the ground. His normally bright magic flickered into nothing, and Alec saw white. 

Besides the first transformation, Alec hadn't experienced any pain. This time was no exception, but the abruptness caused it to be jarring. Not that that mattered. Magnus, his mate, had been _hurt_.

With a roar, the tension in Alec snapped. He managed to spit out, "Back away." before he was consumed. 

Really, they should have seen this coming. All the signs were there, but the sight of a jet black dragon standing where Alec had just been was still surprising. All three stood there in shock, each ramrod straight as they took in the sight. Only when Alec let out a fierce roar did they jerk back into motion. 

Alec leaped into the air, and began to spray the battlefield in incandescent flames. The many demons that had begun to overwhelm them were turned to dust. Nobody knew what to do. 

Maia was the first to speak up. She started with, "So....Alec's a dragon?" It didn't matter that they had seen the flash of purple. Seeing a dragon where someone had been was still hard to grasp. The battle's adrenaline didn't help either. 

Catarina wasn't nearly as surprised. In fact, her face was one of understanding. With distant eyes, she whispered, "...pheromones." Raphael joined in with, "They did flash purple..." Maia just gave them an equally confused look, "Am I missing something?"

Catarina finally looked back at Maia and said, "Well, I noticed that Alec has been acting...off for a couple of weeks now. Ragnor mentioned something too." Raphael picked up from there with, "Simon mentioned something about Alec's desk. I didn't really believe him, but on a mission, I noticed something off as well." He gave a contemplative hum, and after awhile said, "Guess that explains it."

Alec was still currently exterminating the demons with ease. His bright, blue flames were bathing the field with heat, each pass scorching the very ground. The allies had enough foresight to get out of the way, but even then, Alec looked to be avoiding them. All three couldn't help but sigh in relief. None of them wanted to explain to Alec that he had accidentally rampaged, and killed his allies. The man was too kind for that. When it looked like the demons were effectively wiped from existence, they watched him fly over to the open rifts. 

"What's he going to do with those?" 

"He's going to close them." All three startled back at Ragnor's voice. The man was walking towards them with his hands clasped behind his back. He said it so simply as if it were obvious. 

And, Alec did. They watched him as he glowed a brilliant iridium before returning to his human form. Then, with a wave of his hands, he began to stitch the rifts closed. They couldn't see it, but his eyes were glowing violet. 

Catarina watched this in awe. Alec's magic was beautiful. It shifted between shades of purple and blue. The sparks themselves were a glittering gold, but what really caught her eye, were the shining silver streaks that ran through the flow of power. The rifts didn't stand a chance. The remaining Circle members had abandoned the mission by this point, so everyone just watched in reverence as their leader worked his magic. Ragnor didn't go unaffected either. His own face was a mask of understanding and awe. _So that's why he needed those books,_ Ragnor thought.Even Ragnor wasn't old enough to have seen a dragon. They were as old as time, but hadn't been seen in nearly three thousand years. Ageless beings weren't immune to death after all.

 _My, my old friend, it seems that you've finally gotten your happy ending,_ Ragnor couldn't help but think with a smirk. 

With the final rift closed, Alec transformed again, but smaller this time. He zipped over to Magnus, reverting back in full gear before hitting the ground. He grabbed the man's shoulders, and whispered, "Magnus, Magnus...come on, wake up. Please, I can't do this without you!" His voice was urgent, and tears began to pool in his eyes. He kept whispering until even then those became silent. He couldn't hear the battlefield anymore. A demon could be sneaking up on him, and he wouldn't care. Magnus was lying on the ground without so much as a twitch, and Alec could feel something inside himself _breaking_. He couldn't do this without him. What was he going to do? Who was going to love him like Magnus? _Nobody,_ a small voice whispered. His thoughts spiraled from there. So much so, that when Magnus' eyes cracked open, he didn't notice. 

"....XANDER!" Alec blinked back to the present. His eyes were clouded over with pain, and they were alight with misery. Magnus had reached up a hand to cradle his husband's face, and he watched as Alec leaned into the touch, grounding his stray thoughts. He whispered to him, "I'm here, love. I'm alive." Those words broke the dam, and Alec finally let his errant tears go. Even with tears streaming down his face, Alec still managed to send Magnus a small smile. He watched Magnus' cat eyes crinkle at the edges, and give him a smile in return. In that moment, Alec felt like they were in an untouchable bubble. Happiness arose within him, and he couldn't help but let his own eyes shine out. 

The moment was broken however when he heard the chatter that surrounded them. Both looked around before looking back to each other. The matching grins were enough.

"Whoops." 

Despite the confusion, Alec and Magnus refused to speak to anybody until the next day. 

They knew that the Clave wasn't going to be happy about this, but that was a problem for later. They needed to reconnect after that scare, so as soon as they could, they portaled to the loft. It was everything that either could have hoped for and more. In the afterglow, Alec whispered to Magnus, "I love you." The _"I don't think I can live without you."_ went unvoiced, but Magnus knew what he was saying. From his place on Alec's chest, he raised his head to look deep into Alec's unglamoured eyes. He whispered an equally reverent, "I love you too."

He didn't have to say anything else. 

Coming back to the Institute was weird. 

First thing that he did was call a cabinet meeting. The downworld leaders deserved to at least be filled in after all. What he wasn't counting on were the extra people that wanted answers. Soon enough he found his office filled with others. Catarina, Ragnor, Maia, Raphael, Clary and Simon. Underhill was lurking in the corner. Out of duty or curiosity, he didn't know, but Alec was grateful all the same. Magnus' hand was on his shoulder. It was a calming touch and infinitely welcome even if it wasn't necessary. He could already tell that nobody was hostile towards him. The overwhelming confusion was clear enough even if he didn't have heightened senses. 

When nobody moved to break the tension in the room, Alec decided to start, "So...I'm a dragon." Best get the obvious out of the way before facing the hard questions. 

And like a dam, questions began to flood the space. _Good thing my office is soundproof_ , groaned Alec. When, the noise became a touch too much, so he let out a loud warning growl. 

That shut everyone up. 

He pinched the bridge of his nose, and continued with, "One at a time. I promise to answer everything that I can. Just know that I didn't intentionally keep this from all of you because I didn't trust you. I did it because I wasn't ready to have this-" Alec gestured to himself with a wave of his hand, "out in the open. Angels above, all of you know how the Clave is with anything different. So, let's start this over. Any questions?" 

This time, the questions were easier to understand. Various things about behavior were prominent, and the nature of his magic seemed to be a main priority of the warlocks. Magnus pitched in every so often, but for the most part, Alec answered everything that he could. Some of the questions were a bit difficult though. 

"How did you become a dragon?" He couldn't see who had asked, but everyone looked to be asking the same thing. 

"We...don't know exactly." They hadn't really found anything that would lead to a species change even with their long, extensive search for answers. Dragons were extinct, so the information was limited. What they did find was that magic seemed to play a huge role in it all. He was constantly surrounded by magic nowadays. Hell, his husband was a warlock for Raziel's sake. A surprise however was to learn that genetics might have played a role in everything as well. Apparently, the Lightwoods weren't as pure as his parents had led him to believe. It certainly explained their participation in the Circle. Maybe they had been trying to overcompensate for their lack of purity. When none of the group looked convinced, Alec continued, "We know factors that could have induced the change, but nothing concrete. Believe me, _this_ was just as much of a surprise for us as it was for you." 

From there the conversation once again shifted to other things. As things went on, Alec couldn't help but relax. Nobody was being mean about their questions, and they weren't questioning his ability to lead. They treated the discussion with respect, and Alec couldn't ask for anything more. His siblings had joined them at some point. The only indication being Clary's shout, "So this was what you were hiding from me!" The responding "Hey! Watch the hair!" was enough to get him to laugh. 

That is, until Ragnor spoke.

"What about the Immortality?"

The room stilled. Everyone froze as they slowly turned to look at the man. It was a fair question. What were they going to do about the Immortality? That didn't stop the slow curling of dread from blooming in his chest. Somehow, he thought they'd be able to avoid this line of questioning. 

Turns out, he's just plain unlucky. 

Magnus looked down at Alec with fear filled eyes, but Alec ignored them to say, "What do you mean?" 

"I'm talking about what you're going to do with it." 

Alec looked down in thought. _What to say._ It was hard, but he finally answered, "...if you're asking about me and Magnus, you don't have to worry. Even when I was...mortal, I had already resolved to spend every living moment loving him. Immortality just gives me more time to do that. If you're asking about my family, then that's a harder question. Yes, I will have to watch my family die. Will it be heartbreaking? Absolutely. Those will probably be the darkest days, months, years of my life. But, I'll have Magnus' support the entire time, and I can happily accept that." Magnus gave his shoulder a squeeze. When Alec looked up, he found that his husband's eyes were misted over with unshed tears. He gave him a brief smile before turning back to the group. Ragnor, who had been leaning forward in his seat, had at last relaxed back into the chair. 

The conversation started up after a beat of stone cold silence, but it was still just as lively as before. They steered away from the harsher questions though, something that Alec was entirely grateful for. Everyone had something to say, and Alec always had an answer. Finally, when it was just him and Magnus left in his office, he turned to his love with adoration blatant across his face, and said, "You know, I meant what I said. I know that you only signed up for a lifetime with me, but-"

"Alexander, you stop right there." Magnus cut in. With a slight quiver to his voice he said, "There is no universe where I don't want you for my eternity, you got that? I love you, and I always will. Always and Forever meant _Always and Forever._ Love, you're it for me. Nobody, and I mean _nobody,_ would ever hold a candle to your blazing inferno. Not in my heart and not ever." 

Rendered speechless, Alec did the only thing he could. He stood up, and kissed his love with all of his passion, love, and fear. Magnus understood, and wrapped his arms around him. They stood there for hours it seemed, the kisses leaving them both breathless. Eventually, Alec broke it off to catch his breath. He rested his forehead against Magnus', and breathed in his husband. The welcoming scent of sandalwood and spice let him relax completely into his arms. He knew that they weren't out of the woods just yet. Enemies would spring up, and the Clave wouldn't let this go unvoiced. But, with his husband in his arms, Alec was sure that they could overcome anything.

He gave one last peck to his love's lips, and without missing a beat, he promised.

"Always and Forever."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, how was it? I tried to be funny with it. Did I make you laugh? 
> 
> I don't know if I'll expand on this fic. I might if something strikes me, but for now, I think I'm done. I hope that you've enjoyed my take on this situation!
> 
> Hopefully, the dialogue was good too....

**Author's Note:**

> The fic that this was inspired from made me think that Alec might have had a different reaction to the whole event. Also something like that doesn't just appear. I wanted to showcase a buildup to the insanity. Not saying that the original isn't good! It's really good in fact, and I love it! I just wanted to write about a different outcome. 
> 
> Also, know that this doc isn’t beta’d. All I use is Google Docs. So any and all mistakes are mine.


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